Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. We doubt that if the GNWT collects more money from its citizens any of the money will find its way to Nunakput communities. It seems to be the right time to ask, to let the Minister know what we think. We think we are not able to pay more taxes on our fuel, on our groceries, on our incomes. We think that would be very unfair. We need to take interest in our small communities to help us maintain our services and make it possible for families to live in northern communities.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been listening to my colleagues here today talking about the lack of communication with Regular Members on this side. I have been in this government now for four terms. I have never seen it worse than it is right now. I am feeling extremely discouraged, to be honest. I hate to admit discouragement, but I feel discouraged.

Any time we offer an opinion or any kind of criticism, even if we try to be constructive on this side of House, it seems to be met with, so early in this term, almost kind of a mocking arrogance from the other side of the House — the demeanour, the talking, the laughing when we are trying to share things that are really important. We’re not here just for a good time; we are here to get something done.

I think everybody here could be doing something different, but we are here because we feel we have something to offer and something to contribute and something to bring to the table on behalf of Northerners. Every time we talk like this, it seems, I could say we get met with this kind of mocking laughter from the other side of the House. Well, I’m telling you, I don’t think they think over there that we will do anything about this situation. I think that is why they can sit there and laugh at it; I don’t think they think we will do anything about it.

We all got on board the good ship Government when we got elected a year ago. But I’m sorry; the government has got its sails down. We are going

nowhere fast. The petty little bits of legislation that come before us: if that’s the agenda of the government, that’s pretty sad, and it is out of touch with the realities facing the North. We have big problems. We have big issues out there, and we are just taking this kind of, I don’t know, stargazing approach.

Maybe I’m not in touch. I’d sure like to hear from Northerners about how they feel this government is performing. My sense from within this government here, sitting at this table, is that we haven’t even raised the sail on this government yet. We’re just tossing about to and fro with no real direction. I don’t want to be part of that. I don’t want to be on that side of the House. I want to be here, but I want to feel that the input I have, the energy I have to bring to this job is meaningful and respected and will actually get some results.

We do have an issue here. I would be very interested in hearing from the folks out there in the public about what they think of this government. This is not a bureaucratic exercise. We are the leaders; we are the visionaries, so let’s get the sails up.

Thanks, Ms. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. In May of this year I raised the issue of the lack of trades programs in the field of cooking here in the North. At the same time, I also talked about the opportunities and solutions we have right here. However, in typical fashion, it seems that maybe another good idea has been lost in the grumbling bowels of government. What continues to be obvious to me is that there still are many gaps that need to be filled in our trades programming for those who want to learn more.

That is why, more than ever, a Red Seal trades cooking program needs to be supported. There is a hunger out there, Mr. Speaker, to learn, to teach and, most certainly, to be fed. There’s a high demand for certified cooks in our diamond mines, exploration camps and certainly in the food service industry in our communities.

I ask the government: what additional signals are you looking for? Because if you need something to be made more obvious, I’m sure many of us here will get them for you. This sector truly is not being served. The demand for skilled cooks will only increase as government watches maybe even the Mackenzie pipeline go by with no one to train to send to their camps.

We all know there is a camp cook training program at our rural college, but this is an entry level program, Mr. Speaker. It does not provide the necessary training for a fully licensed cook in a Red Seal tradesperson program. I believe we need to extend the cook training program opportunities here in the North. We have the facilities here in Yellowknife; they are just sitting idle waiting for students. We have journeymen, we have journeywomen who want to teach their skills, but we have no government support to back them up, and we certainly won’t have any students for them to teach.

Let’s not waste this opportunity. Government, I hope you’re listening. The potential is sitting idly by. They certainly want to learn. I’ve had the opportunity to take the Education Minister down to see this facility here in Yellowknife, and there is promise, Mr. Speaker. There is certainly promise for the next generation, because it shows that it wants to learn. So let’s unlock these doors, not keep them locked. We have industry that wants to be part of the solution. Where’s the Minister helping them? Bring them to the table, I say.

We have the people, we have the skills, we have the teachers, but we now need government. The next step is easy. Let’s flip into gear before this opportunity boils over and is lost. I will have questions for the Education Minister later today.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today this Assembly placed a vote of confidence in me by electing me to a seat on the Executive Council. I truly am grateful for that, and I’m humbled by that. I will do my utmost to carry on the good work of the Regular Members and the Members of this House.

I want to use what is possibly my last statement as a Regular Member to assure my constituents back in Inuvik Twin Lakes that I will continue to press their issues while I’m down here. One thing I have noticed over the last couple of years I have been here is that a lot of issues that Members on this side of the House bring up are common to all communities across the Northwest Territories. The issues that are common will continue to be brought up by Regular Members. I will continue to and I commit to work with constituents in dealing with all the constituency issues that come forward. I just want to use this opportunity to let them know that I

am always available. I will continue to fight for the constituents of Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Again, colleagues, I thank you for your vote of confidence today. I go back to the Member’s Conduct Guidelines that we all signed, and I take that quite seriously. I know we have discussions here on “this side, that side,” “we, they” and “us, them.” I said this morning that I believe in the principles of consensus government. I think we have to look at it sometimes as “we” instead of so much as “us” and “them.” I think we should work towards that.

The Member’s Conduct Guidelines that I always point back to has a statement in there that says, “To my colleagues, I owe fairness and respect for our differences and the duty to work together with goodwill for the common good.” I truly believe in that. I think that as an Assembly, even though we do have our differences, we try to work towards the common good of people in the Northwest Territories. I will continue to do that no matter what side of the House I sit on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am honoured to have constituents all the way from Tuktoyaktuk, my good friends Francis Andersen and his brother David. Andersens, welcome to the house. Also Charlene Steen and her daughter Kailey. Also Mrs. Shannon Steen. Her father was a past Minister and MLA for Nunakput, Mr. Vince Steen. Welcome to the House.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize Warren McLeod and Jerry Jaud, principals of FSC Architects and Engineers, one of Canada’s top 100 employers.

I would like to recognize Richard Edjericon, Weledeh resident, and I believe Jerry Jaud is also a resident of Weledeh.

I would like to recognize Blake Rasmussen, a well known individual from Old Town, I think, and also from my high school grad. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. Hope you are enjoying the proceedings. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my Member’s statement today I talked about the issue of elevating our trades program. I highlighted the issue that we have a perfectly good facility here in this community that could raise the standard from just regular cook to a Red Seal tradesperson. I am wondering what the Education Minister has to say about that here today. I have taken him down to that facility in person on a tour, and I know he liked it. I would like to know what the Minister has done since the last time I took him on a tour to help raise and elevate this type of program in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, we did tour the facility the Member is referring to as having potential for a cooking program. It is one of those programs that is often needed throughout the North and also throughout Canada.

The Member made a statement about the lack of support from the government. Mr. Speaker, we do support all kinds of training programs, apprentices and at the professional level as well. We’re very proud of that. Also, since we met with Chef Pierre, there has been some ongoing discussion within my department, and my department has met with the chef as well. Mahsi.

I’m glad to hear that the Minister supports trades, and I’m glad to hear that the Minister supports the potential of this program. When do you think we can actually hear or see something coming to fruition on this project? It’s an opportunity before us, and I’d certainly like to see the Minister move on this sooner than later. Can I expect something sooner than later from this Minister?

Since June of this past summer my department has been working closely with Chef Pierre. They also toured the facility. They did talk about the proposal coming forward from Chef Pierre and also asked questions on the accreditation program. That is supposed to be forthcoming.

At the same time, there is also great news from the Mine Training Society. There was a proposal submitted by Chef Pierre, in partnership with the Native Women’s Association, to deliver a camp cook program. That is one of partnerships that has

always been successful in the past working with the Mine Training Society. It is an 18 week program and involves the Ready to Work program, which consists of income assistance clients. That is a positive step as well.

Those are the ongoing discussions that we’re having. It is looking good, and we are going to deliver programs through these partnerships. Mahsi.

I’m aware of the many journeymen and women that Chef Pierre has at his business downtown. It could become the new Red Seal training program for trades cooking. They have many tickets under their belt, and they’re able to train under many aspects of cooking.

It’s good to hear that the accreditation is being worked through. What else is holding this back, or when can we expect a big announcement from the Minister that we’re able to move forward on this initiative?

I thought I just announced a huge initiative here on the training program.

I think this is a great start for us as a department, the GNWT, the Mine Training Society and also the partnership with the NWT Native Women’s Association. It’s a true partnership, and it will move forward. Again, it’s an 18 week program.

With this accreditation program we’re still waiting for Chef Pierre to get back to my department and discuss further the next level, because this is one area that we’re focusing on as a department. The proposal has been submitted to the Mine Training Society, and they are moving forward on this. We’re watching and monitoring that carefully. We have to work with those partnerships as well, instead of just one partner. Those are the discussions that we’re having with various parties.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I did hear the Minister cite a camp cook program with the Mine Training Society, but that’s not the Red Seal program that I’ve talked about and that he knows I’m referring to.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to be clear on the record today. Is this department fully committed to getting a Red Seal trades program for cooking here in the North, and are they fully committed and behind this project to make sure it will happen?

To date we have 4,683 individuals that have been certified through apprenticeship programs. We should be proud of that here in the Northwest Territories. We continue to deliver those effective programs. Camp cook or

the cook apprentices could be one of them. We need more information from Chef Pierre and his resource people to provide the accreditation so we can move forward. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.